This invention relates to aqueous cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting and mold and mildew inhibiting compositions for non-porous hard surfaces such as glass (e.g., mirrors and shower doors), glazed porcelain, metallic (e.g., chrome, stainless steel, and aluminum), ceramic tile, enamel, fiberglass, Formica(copyright), Corian(copyright) and plastic. The compositions utilize surprisingly low concentrations of particular alcohols as well as advantageously leave very low levels of residue on the surface.
Complete elimination of pathogenic micro-organisms on various surfaces, especially hard surfaces where such organisms may stay active for relatively long periods of time, has long been a goal of those charged with cleaning and maintaining in an antiseptic fashion kitchens and bathrooms in the home, as well as in commercial and institutional settings such as hospitals, medical clinics, hotels and restaurants. A further goal has been to prevent the formation of allergens caused by the growth of mold and mildew on bathroom surfaces.
A variety of chemical disinfecting agents have been developed to accomplish these goals. However, some of these agents have disadvantages in that some are corrosive, unpleasant to smell or capable of staining certain surfaces that commonly need to be cleaned and disinfected. Additionally, if the agents are volatile organic compounds, the compositions are environmentally disadvantageous when utilized at higher concentrations. Furthermore, some disinfecting agents contain components which leave residual solids on surfaces such as glass, polished tile, or metals which detract from the visual appearance of these surfaces.
Chlorine bleaches such as aqueous sodium hypochlorite have long been recognized as being effective against all types of micro-organisms, provided that the bleach is used in sufficiently high concentrations, such as 5,000 ppm (0.5%) of active sodium hypochlorite and higher, depending on the micro-organism to be eliminated. These types of solutions are recommended for use for disinfecting an area where blood or other potentially pathogenic biological contaminants have been spilled or released and total disinfection is required. At such high levels of sodium hypochlorite, the sensory irritation from the chlorine smell from the bleach simply makes this agent undesirable for routine cleaning and disinfection of, for example, hospital rooms, where patients remain in the room during and after the cleaning and disinfection process.
Disadvantageously, hypochlorites may also stain or degrade some surfaces such as Formica(copyright). Additionally, bleaches demonstrate high reactivity with other cleaning agents. For example, bleach when combined with ammonia produces harmful chloramine gas. Also, bleach when combined with an acid based cleaner produces chlorine gas, which is potentially hazardous.
Consumers are also highly sensitive to streaking and hazing which may develop on windows, shower doors and mirrors, and the like. A desirable cleaner should produce a surface which exhibits little or no change in clarity and optical properties from the moment of use and ideally remain that way for weeks and months. In the context of the present invention, streaking can be defined as a visible diffractive layer which causes light scattering. Hazing can be described as a misty diffractive layer that covers the entire surface developing instantly or over time, which clouds the surface. Most cleaning products leave behind a thin residual film of product in intimate contact with the surface. Hydrogen bonding to the surface oxides and/or hydroxides with continuous attachment produces an optically clear film. Small breaks or disruptions in these continuous residual films cause diffractive streaks which are visible to the naked eye. Similarly, residual diffractive particles will also be visible to the naked eye. Specific formulation techniques are required to maintain the integrity of a homogeneous residual film and to eliminate residual diffractive particles on the cleaned surface.
Chemical and optical stability of the residual surface film may be achieved by maintaining a proper balance of surfactants and coupling agents in the formula. More typically, however, the formulator will prepare a cleaning composition to ensure stability of the composition and the delivery of good disinfecting properties without considering the residual film properties and optical effects. For example, Quaternary ammonium compounds have long been recognized as being useful for their antibacterial properties, as can be seen from U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,669 to Dadekian; U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,147 to Schaeufele; U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,151 to Like et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,790 to Green et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,398 to Sheets et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,505 to Frazier. However, quaternary ammonium compounds have a tendency to contribute to visible streaking on glass and other surfaces.
An additional disadvantage of quaternary ammonium based compositions is that the addition of common highly efficacious cleaning surfactants such as anionic surfactants is not possible due to incompatibility. Accordingly, more costly surfactants must be employed in quaternary ammonium formulations.
Further, quaternary ammonium compounds are known eye and skin irritants, thus special care must be taken by the user of compositions employing these compounds.
To minimize expense, undesirable odors and possible detrimental effects of disinfecting agents on surfaces to be disinfected, it is desirable to minimize the amount of disinfecting or mold and mildew inhibiting agents used while still retaining efficacy. As will be explained in greater detail below, it has been found that a combination of specific alcohols, and glycol ethers at a pH in the range of from about 4.0 to about 13.0 provides a composition that is effective as a cleaner, disinfectant and a mold and mildew prevention agent on non-porous hard surfaces.
One object of this invention is to provide compositions that can be used in a method of cleaning and disinfecting various surfaces. Another object of this invention is to provide such compositions that inhibit mold and mildew growth on surfaces.
A particularly advantageous object of this invention is to provide compositions that can be used in household, commercial and institutional settings for cleaning and disinfection purposes that are more tolerable to people remaining in the area disinfected because the smell of the compositions is more appealing to the user than if highly concentrated hypochlorite bleach compositions were used as the active disinfectant. Yet another object is to provide cleaning, disinfecting and mold and mildew inhibiting compositions that do not have high concentrations of certain compounds which are prone to corrode or stain surfaces to be treated.
Further, it is an object of this invention to provide disinfectancy and mold and mildew inhibition on surfaces at reduced levels of environmentally disadvantageous volatile organic compounds.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of using the composition as a rinsing aid to maintain a clean and disinfected shower and prevent the build-up of undesirable deposits on shower surfaces.
Additionally, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the potential of disinfecting compositions to cause visible streaks on glass and polished surfaces when compared to disinfectants containing quaternary ammonium compounds.
These and other objects of the present invention are provided by applying to a non-porous hard surface, an effective amount of an aqueous cleaning composition comprising an aliphatic alcohol, a glycol ether or ethers, and optionally, a secondary alcohol selected from the group consisting of monohydric alcohols, dihydric alcohols, trihydric alcohols and polyhydric alcohols, at a pH in the range of from about 4.0 to about 13.0. The composition may also contain other conventional materials including, but certainly not limited to; surfactants, chelating agents, pH modifiers, hydrotropes, fragrances, dyes, etc. Surprisingly, these compositions provide cleaning, disinfectancy and mold and mildew inhibiting properties at significantly reduced levels of volatile organic compounds without the need for chlorine bleaches, quaternary ammonium or phenolic compounds.
The first component of the present invention is an aliphatic alcohol. Exemplary aliphatic alcohols include isopropanol, propanol, butanol and ethanol. The preferred aliphatic alcohol is isopropanol, due to its evaporation and low odor characteristics. Methyl alcohol, however, is less favored due to its toxicity.
Typically the aliphatic alcohol is utilized in an amount of up to about 10%; preferably from about 1.0% to about 10.0%; and most preferably from about 3.5% to about 10.0% by weight of the composition (hereinafter, all amounts are given in weight percent, unless specified otherwise).
A further component of the present invention is an organic ether. The organic ethers according to the present invention are represented by the following Formula (I):
R1xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94R2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
wherein R1 is a C1-C8 linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl or alkenyl optionally substituted with xe2x80x94OH, xe2x80x94OCH3, or xe2x80x94OCH2CH3, and R2 is a C1-C6 linear, branched or cyclic alkyl or alkenyl substituted with xe2x80x94OH.
Preferably, R1 is an optionally substituted C3-C6 alkyl or alkenyl, and R2 is a monosubstituted C2-C4 linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl.
More preferably, R1 is an unsubstituted or monosubstituted linear or branched C3-C6 alkyl, and R2 is a monosubstituted C2-C4 linear or branched alkyl.
Most preferably, R1 is an unsubstituted n-C3-C4 or n-C6 linear alkyl or 
The preferred organic ethers are the glycol ethers. Suitable glycol ethers include ethylene glycol n-hexyl ether, (available as Hexyl Cellosolve(copyright), from Union Carbide Corporation), ethylene glycol mono-butyl ether (available as Butyl Cellosolve(copyright), from Union Carbide Corporation, or as Dowanol(copyright) EB, from Dow Chemical Co.), dipropylene glycol methyl ether (available as Dowanol(copyright) DPM, from Dow Chemical Co.), propylene glycol n-butyl ether (sold as Dowanol(copyright) PnB), propylene glycol tertiary-butyl ether (available as Arcosolv(copyright) PTB from Arco Chemicals), and propylene glycol n-propyl ether (available as Dowanol(copyright) PnP from Dow Chemical Co.). Other useful glycol ethers include other P-series glycol ethers such as propylene glycol methyl ether (sold as Dowanol(copyright) PM), dipropylene glycol n-Butyl Ether (sold as Dowanol(copyright) DPnB), and dipropylene glycol n-Propyl Ether (sold as Dowanol(copyright) DPnP) and mixtures thereof.
In the present invention, the glycol ether(s) are generally present in the range from about 0.01 to about 10.0 total weight percent. Preferably, the glycol ether component is employed in the range from about 0.5% to about 10.0%; and most preferably, from about 0.9% to about 8.0% by weight of the composition, depending upon the specific glycol ether.
Ideally the glycol ether component is a mixture of ethers, each present in a range of from about 0.01% to about 10%. Preferably the composition comprises 1.2% or less by weight of ethylene glycol n-hexyl ether and from about 0.01% to about 10.0%, more preferably from about 0.01% to about 3.0% by weight of ethylene glycol n-butyl ether. With respect to the Hexyl, it has been found beneficial to use this component at or near its solubility limit of 1.0% in an aqueous solution.
It has been found that certain alcohols couple with the nonvolatile organic ethers above, and markedly reduce the potential for the formation of visible streaks. These secondary alcohols include various monohydric alcohols, dihydric alcohols, trihydric alcohols, and polyhydric alcohols. Suitable secondary alcohols for use in the present invention are represented by the following Formula (II): 
wherein A, D, E, G, L and M are independently xe2x80x94H, xe2x80x94CH3, xe2x80x94OH or xe2x80x94CH2OH; J is a single bond or xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94; and Q is xe2x80x94H or a straight chain C1-C5 alkyl optionally substituted with xe2x80x94OH, with the proviso that:
(i) if Q is not an alkyl substituted with xe2x80x94OH, then at least one of A, D, E, G, L and M is xe2x80x94OH or xe2x80x94CH2OH;
(ii) when only one of A and E is xe2x80x94OH and J is a single bond, D, G, L, M and Q may not be xe2x80x94H simultaneously;
(iii) when A, D, E, G and L are xe2x80x94H simultaneously, J is a single bond and M is 
xe2x80x83and
(iv) when J is single bond, none of E, G, L and M is xe2x80x94CH3 or xe2x80x94CH2OH and Q is xe2x80x94CH2CH2CH2CH3, then at least two of A, D, E, G, L and M are xe2x80x94OH; or at least one of A and D is xe2x80x94CH or xe2x80x94CH2OH.
Preferably, at least one of A, D, E and G is xe2x80x94OH or xe2x80x94CH2OH and Q is xe2x80x94H or a straight chain C1-C5 alkyl optionally monosubstituted with xe2x80x94OH.
More preferably, one or two of A, D, E and G is xe2x80x94OH or xe2x80x94CH2OH and Q is xe2x80x94H or xe2x80x94CH2OH.
Most preferably, one or two of A, D, E and G is xe2x80x94OH or xe2x80x94CH2OH, J is xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, L and M are independently xe2x80x94H or xe2x80x94CH3 and Q is xe2x80x94CH2OH. The most preferred secondary alcohol has been found to be propylene glycol.
In the present invention, the secondary alcohol will be generally employed in the range of up to about 5.0%; preferably from about 0.1% to about 3.5%; and most preferably, from about 0.2% to about 2.5% by weight of the composition.
Compositions of the present invention typically have a pH of about 4 or above, more preferably from about 7 to about 13 and ideally from about 9.5 to about 12.5. The pH may be adjusted by conventional pH adjusting agents such as citric acid, acetic acid, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonia and mixtures thereof.
The compositions utilized in the present invention are typically water-based for reasons of household safety and commercial acceptance. Soft, distilled or deionized water are preferred as the source of water for dilution of the individual components as well as for the water added as the balance of the composition for such use as an aqueous shower rinsing solution.
Generally, the amount of water utilized is dependent on the particular application of the composition. For household disinfecting compositions, water is typically present in an amount from about 1.0% to about 95%; preferably 50% to about 95%; and most preferably from about 85% to about 95% by weight of the composition.
Builder salts and chelating agents of the type conventionally used in liquid detergent compositions for cleaning hard surfaces may also be included in the compositions of the present invention in small amounts, generally less than about 5%, provided that they do not promote streaking on surfaces. Such builder salts include sodium sesquicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium gluconate, sodium citrate, sodium borate, potassium carbonate, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, sodium metasilicate and the like, and such polymeric materials as polyacrylic acid. The chelating agents may include water soluble chelating agents such as alkali metal or substituted ammonium amino polycarboxylates such as sodium or potassium salts of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (xe2x80x9cEDTAxe2x80x9d) such as tetrasodium EDTA.
The compositions according to the present invention may contain one or more surfactants to adjust the surface tension of the composition and to aid in cleaning. These surfactants may include anionic surfactants such as sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, decyl(sulfophenoxy)benzenesulfonic acid disodium salt sold by Dow Corp. as Dowfax(copyright) C10L, and sodium lauryl sulfate, or amphoteric surfactants such as caprylic glycinate sold by Witco Corp. as Rewoteric(copyright) AMV. The anionic surfactant may also be a fluoro anionic surfactant such as 3M Fluorad(copyright) FC-129. Other suitable surfactants include betaine surfactants such as coco amido propyl dimethyl sultaine sold by Lonza Corp. as Lonzaine(copyright) CS, coconut based alkanolamide surfactants sold by Mona Chemicals as Monamid(copyright) 150-ADD or nonionic surfactants including the ethoxylated alcohols such as Neodol(copyright) 23-3 and Neodol(copyright) 23-5(Shell Chemicals), alkyl phenol ethoxylates, and Igepal CO-630 (Rhone-Poulenc); low foaming surfactants such as lauramine oxide sold by Lonza Corp. as Barlox(copyright) LF and cleaning surfactants such as ethoxylated vegetable oil sold by GAF Corp. as Emulphor(copyright) EL-719.
It is believed that the use of cationic amphoteric surfactants may result in cleaners which have a tendency for streaking or smearing problems. Accordingly, amphoteric surfactants used in the present invention are preferably employed under alkaline conditions to render the anionic portion of the amphoteric compound active.
Ideally, the amphoteric surfactant exhibits high detergency and low foam characteristics. Suitable examples of such amphoteric compounds include a capryloamphodipropionate such as Amphoterge(copyright) KJ-2 (Lonza Corp.) which has a lipophilic end with a chain length including the amide carbon of C6 (4%); C8 (57%); C10 (38%) and C12 (1%).
The amphoteric surfactants may desirably be utilized in their salt-free forms to maximize their compatibility in the cleaning systems, particularly if the cleaner contains detergents.
In the present invention, the surfactant(s) will be employed in the range from 0 to about 5.0%; preferably in the range of from about 0.01% to about 3.0%; and most preferably in the range of from about 0.01% to about 2.0% by weight of the composition.
The formulator may also choose to include one or more cleaning solvents or cleaning supplements such as monoethanolamine. These cleaning solvents will typically be utilized in amounts from 0 to about 2.0%, preferably from about 0.01% to about 1.0% and most preferably, from about 0.125% to about 0.8% by weight of the composition.
Thickening agents may also be utilized where there is a need to increase the time the consumer can wipe the composition before it runs down a vertical surface. Suitable thickening agents include polyacrylic acid polymers and copolymers such as Carbopol(copyright) ETD 2623 (B. F. Goodrich Co.) or Accusol 821 (Rohm and Haas).
For better consumer acceptance, the glass cleaning composition will typically contain colorant or dye, such as Direct Blue 86, or polymeric colorants such as Liquitint(copyright) Blue HP and a fragrance component. If a dye or a fragrance is contained in the composition, it may be preferable also to include an anti-oxidant, such as potassium iodide, to protect these materials and provide sufficient stability for a long shelf life. If the fragrance oil utilized which is not already preblended with a solubilizer, a fragrance solubilizer, such as Igepal-CO 630 commercially available from Rhone-Poulenc, or an alkoxylated linear alcohol such as Poly-Tergent SL-62 from Olin Chemical, is preferably utilized in a 50:50 blend with the fragrance. Of course, it is certainly possible for commercial or other reasons to provide a clear or fragrance-free composition by omitting these materials.